2018 Kistler Chardonnay Laguna Ridge Vineyard

First made in 2015 and always the lowest pH wine in the lineup, the 2018 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge Vineyard is released only in magnum, with the goal of encouraging people to give it some bottle age. Despite the high acidity, it's beautifully done and balanced, with racy notes of lemon curd, honeyed toast, ample minerality, and spice all emerging from the glass. Medium-bodied, with a chiseled, focused, yet still pleasurable mouthfeel, it needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years and is probably going to be the longest-lived Chardonnay in the vintage. Winemaker Jason Kesner continues to put his mark on these wines, pulling back on harvest dates and focusing more on acidity, while not sacrificing concentration and texture. It’s not an easy tightrope to walk, but he’s doing an amazing job. These latest 2018s are truly brilliant, singular wines readers will love to have in their cellar.

The 2018 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge is another dazzling wine in this range. It is also the most energetic, taut Chardonnay in the line-up, qualities that are further amplified by the magnum format used for the entire production. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and crushed rocks all run through this brilliant, crystalline Chardonnay. Beautifully textured and translucent, with tremendous energy, the Laguna Ridge hits all the right notes. The 2018 is quite simply one of the most memorable wines I have ever tasted at Kistler. Don't miss it.